Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-04-11
LITERARY REVIEW.
THE CENTURY.

1ne century 1or April is before us. lt
is a number which should find room on
the reading table of every household in
the land. The Century is one of the
most enterprising magazines of the day,
and American enterprise, in literature as
well as everything else, bears the richest
of fruit.
One feature of the Century is peculiar
to itself. 1t is of its own creation, and
its cultivation has yielded the Magazine
both profit and fame. This feature is its
war literature. At the Century's COM
mand all of the great leaders of the op-
posing hosts in our tremendous civil con-
fiict, have turned their true swords into
virile pens, and given to the nation and
the world the history of the struggle by
the actors therein.
1t was the thought of genius,
and has been genius supported.
Many of the military chieftians who
have contributed to the war literature of
the Century have developed rare literary
strength. The genius of the sword has
been followed by the genius of the pen.
Great battles have been ss wildly de-
scribed as they were brilliantly directed,
and the sunlight of peace has added lus-
ter to the laurels of war. By mont hly
process American valor has been
embalmed in the hearts of
American citizens and the Cen
tury'S record of National honor will
live for all time. In the April number
of the Century, General D. H. Hill, one
of the greatest of the Confederate chief
tains, tells the story of Chickamanga-
the great battle of the West. General
Hills style is terse and clear. One of
the best executive officers of the war, he
carries the qualities which distinguished
him in the field to the pages OF his man
uscript. Everything is forcible and to
the point. He marshals armies as readily
on paper as he hurled them to the shock
of battle. The gray and blue lines facing
each other; the deadly volley of mus
kerry the fatal sweep of grape and can
mister the headlong charge; the reeling
ranks the smoke of battle the red light
ming of war; the piles of heroic dead the
Confederate yell; the Union cheer; are all
seen by the reader. The General tells of
the steady common sense and tenacious
fighting qualities of Rosencrans, the sin
gular mutual apathy of Bragg, and of
the deeds of the heroic Thomas, the |
savior of the Federal army. General |
Hill carefully and thoroughly analyzes |
the results of the battle of Chickamauga. /
Though the Confederates remained the |
masters of the hard fought field, the |
fruits of the struggle were plucked |
by the Union army. The writer
recognized the hand writing on the wall |
after Chickamauga. The failure to grasp
results after the battle was the death
blow to the Confederate army of the
Southwest. Let the nervous eloquence
of the Confederate General and writer
tell its own story. He says ''There was
no more splendid fighting in '61 when
the flower of the Southern youth was
in the field then was displayed on the
field of Chickamauga in those
bloody days of September '63. But it
seems to me that the elan of the South
ern soldier was never seen after Chicka-
mauga-that brilliant dash which had
distinguished him on a hundred fields,
was gone forever. He was too intelligent
not to know that the cutting in two of
Georgia meant death to all his hopes.
He knew that Longstreet's absence was
imperiling Lees safety, and that what
had to be done must be done quickly.
The delay to strike was exasperating to
him; the railure to strike after the sue
cess was crushing to all his longings for
an independent South. He fought stoutly
to the last, but, after Chickamauga. with
the sullenness OF despair and without the
of hope. That barren vic
tory sealed the fate of the Southern
Confederacy."
ssThe Mamoranda on Tho H;r;I
War" in the April number of the Cent,,ry
contains: "The Reserve Corps at Chick
amauga" and General Polk at Chicka-
A notable array of writer's on
general subjects contribute to the April
number. Mrs. Schuyler Van Rensselaer,
writes of the Canterbury Cathedral. Joel
Chandler Harris contributes one of his
fascinating Southern stories.
Frank Stockton's 'Hundredth man"
s in its sixth installment.
Minnie Irving has charming poem.
George Parsons Lathrop gives some pen
portraits of Hawthorne. Eggleston digs 7
new quaint old gold from the records of
he past. Mark Twain educates the
century readers with ''English as She Is
'aught," and several other writer's of {
enown contribute to the pages of the
adSaZIue.
Fords, Howard and Hubert, 81 Park =
lace, New York, announce new edi-
ions of several of Henry Ward Beecher's 4
ooks Norwood; or, Village Life in
lew England" (his only novel;; "Yale
lectures on Preaching" (the three series
/ one volume) "Life Thoughts" COM
lied by Edna Dean Proctor, and Com
'rting Thoughts" compiled by Irene H. :
'vington. !
In addition TO the Summer in Eng
Ind, 1885," to be ready very shortly,
ley announce volume to contain Mr..
eecher's "War Speeches, in England !.
nd America 1S63)," with other mater 4
i of interest touching his lsbors and in 4
uence during that great crisis OF Ameri- Y
IN history, and its immediate political